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When you think of bamboo, perhaps images of munching pandas or peaceful Asian gardens spring to mind. But this attractive plant with a strong stem is much more than that. You may cultivate a variety of bamboo plants in your yard or even in a container indoors. Bamboos are often fairly tolerant and quick-growing plants. Running bamboo kinds, on the other hand, have aggressive growth patterns that can take over your environment and make it very challenging to remove. Make sure to pick your type of bamboo wisely if you don’t want to become a bamboo farmer (or possibly if you do). Use these advice to take care of your plants after that.
What Is Bamboo?
In addition to being a general word for more than 1,200 individual species, bamboo refers to a subfamily of tall, dense grasses with a treelike appearance. The majority are among the fastest-growing plants in the world and have woody stems, making them perennial evergreens. Have you ever wondered how quickly bamboo can grow? Some can expand by as much as one foot each day. This makes it a very sustainable resource, and bamboo-based eco-friendly goods like utensils, toothbrushes, and household goods are becoming more and more popular.
Sizes of bamboo range from 4–6 inches to 130 feet. You can easily select a cultivar that complements your landscape among that wide range. But exercise caution, since certain plants have a tendency to grow rapidly and thickly, displacing nearby plants.
Bamboo Plant Types and How to Take Care of Them
There are two bamboo species that you should be aware of: running and clumping. Rhizomes, or stem-like extensions with underground roots, are a feature of all bamboo species. Rhizomes of clumping bamboos are shorter and stay close to their source, whereas those of running bamboos stretch out horizontally.
Running types should be pruned annually to keep them under control because they need a lot of space to grow. They will quickly take over your landscape if you don’t. You might have seen a video or two on #gardentok demonstrating how growth can easily spiral out of control. Clumping people are more laid back. They expand from a central plant in the form of compact clusters of shoots at a significantly slower rate of 2–12 inches annually.
All bamboos benefit from routine watering, yet the quantity of sunlight each kind needs to thrive varies.
(But keep them out of the water.) Until they become established, new plants require daily watering.
For best results, spread a 2- to 3-inch layer of compost, mulch, or other organic materials.
Bamboo consumes a lot of nutrients to help fuel its rapid development. Use a slow-releasing, nitrogen-rich organic fertilizer (the first number on the package should be the highest, such as 10-5-5). Apply the fertilizer as directed on the package in the spring, soon as new growth begins, and again in the summer.
Growing Running Bamboo Plants
Golden bamboo, also known as Phyllostachys, is usually what comes to mind when you think about bamboo. These are the traditional tall cane bamboo plants, reaching heights of up to 70 feet and with stems up to 6 inches in diameter. They range in hardiness from Zones 5 to 10, and they are robust and quickly growing.
Golden bamboos appear in a variety of colors, including greens, deep reds, and even startling blacks, though they are most famous for their yellow colour. They produce tropical-style privacy screens that grow quickly. These plants require continuous upkeep to keep their rhizomes under control because they spread so quickly. To keep them contained, think about setting up a concrete, metal, or plastic barrier or growing them in a raised bed. This creates a favorable growing environment and makes it simpler to manage any errant rhizomes.
Compact the soil firmly at the bottom of the planting hole to prevent deep rhizome growth. Early summer is a good time to regularly patrol the perimeter of your bamboo to look for escapees. When rhizome growth stops, which depends on where you reside, repeat the check. Any new growth that emerges outside the boundaries at this time is still relatively soft and hasn’t rooted to the ground, making removal efficient.
Golden bamboo needs at least six hours of direct sunlight every day to thrive. Otherwise, they require root pruning once or twice a year in addition to the essential removal of any stems that are dead or unsightly.
Plants of Clumping Bamboo Growing
Clumping bamboo comes in a variety of varieties, including Bambusa (which does well in hot, southern regions), Chusquea, Borinda, and Himalayacalamus (which prefer cool, mild climates). The most cold-resistant clumping bamboos are Fargesia, which may endure as far north as Zone 5.
Bamboos that clump together favor shade or partial shade and come in a variety of hues and sizes. Additionally, you can prune them to create any form without harming the plant. Simply thin or remove the outside canes by trimming them at ground level if the clump becomes too broad. Dwarf or groundcover bamboos should be cut back to the ground every spring to maintain the plants healthy.
Shorter and thicker new growth is produced.
Indoor Bamboo Plant Growing
It is a little simpler to grow clumping bamboo indoors. You will need to repot or divide a running kind every few years. For either kind, pick a container that is at least 12 inches broad and deep and is constructed of a durable material. You’ll need to pay close attention to your plant because most bamboos prefer the outdoors than indoors. Indoor bamboos require frequent watering, fertilization, proper drainage, and protection from the elements, just like other potted plants. In essence, you’re trying to replicate outdoor circumstances as nearly as you can.
Bamboo enjoys humidity, which you may improve by spraying it many times every day with a spray bottle. Adding a pebble tray with some water underneath the container also aids in increasing moisture levels. or position a humidifier close by. For the optimum growth, give your indoor bamboo as much bright, indirect sunshine as you can.
To ensure that your plant is adequately watered but not drowned, keep a constant check on the soil’s moisture level. Overwatering can lead to root rot. Don’t water as regularly during the winter and wait for the top 2-3 inches to dry before watering again. Apply an organic, slow-release fertilizer twice a year for good growth, just as you would if you were growing bamboo outdoors.
You might be shocked to learn that fortunate bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana), a popular indoor alternative, isn’t actually a bamboo. It’s a particular species of tropical water lily with stems that resemble bamboo. Therefore, if cultivating real bamboo as a houseplant is not an option, you may always try growing this simpler substitute.
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